Mistakes
by ladystumbles
Summary: Kua rebels against Master Soo in order to return to Sooga Village and finish what she'd started. This gives Pucca an idea to try and help Ching win over Abyo. Eventually.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. Or the series.**

**So I wrote this story about this time last year. I guess it'll do. For now.**

**Also, my chapters are usually relatively short. This one's only about 650 words. But I guess that's… uh… how I write. Incompetently? Maybe.**

**For some reason I was going crazy with POVs throughout this text. So it begins from Uncle Dumpling's perspective.**

**Yay! Enjoy.**

-x-

Pucca had been making deliveries, and was on her way home, so I'd heard. Lunch was over now, it seemed, and the customers had all gotten back to their jobs, or whatever else it was they were doing. I considered checking the mailbox. Pucca wasn't here to do it, like she usually does. I swung open the heavy doors and, never had I knew, I would be overcome with a rush of mixed emotions upon being forced to face past memories.

What I saw was a girl, a young adult, dragging behind a little suitcase nonchalantly on the footpath, with her hair all up in a plait at the back except for a single, rebellious strand hung down in front of her face.

Actually, I thought, I really shouldn't be thinking about this. This is the girl that nearly got me and my brothers killed and then made the whole ordeal practically pointless by taking in that shallow wizard, the one who calls himself Master Soo. I'm not jealous - and I'm sure I'm not kidding myself when I say that - but I'm not really sure why he runs the village, or why he happened to be bestowed with that kind of magic.

Suddenly, the girl came to a standstill, then smiled, and spoke. "Well, fancy seeing you again-"

"Kua? I- I-" I flustered.

"No, it;s okay", Kua reassured me. walking towards me; approaching the steps to the restaurant door near which I had been standing all this time. She's good at reassuring; though her voice is calming and sweet, you would never think it would be a trait for someone like her. "I know how you feel", she then said.

'I know how you feel'? How could she possibly know how it feels? It's not like she's been mauled by sharks or anything.

"It's just-". She looked down at her feet, her face reddening. "I made a mistake".

"No, Kua. Please, don't think that". Oh. She was making me feel sad for her now. "You're free to make your own decisions".

"But, really - I wasn't expecting this. Being a maiden - it's so demeaning. Master Soo - it felt like he didn't even value me amongst a bunch of other girls, and even then I'm not sure if he valued them either. I just don't think I really looked into this far enough."

_First impressions, and love, can be misleading_, I thought. _Well, then, I suppose we all make mistakes sometimes._

"I forgive you, Kua", I mumbled, half-nervously, "because I know you have good intentions".

She went back to smiling - her usual, cheerful self - and looked up at me. "So… I guess, we'll continue this business, then. Where are Ho and Linguini?"

Oh, no. Not this. Really? My heart took a leap in anticipation.

"They're just in the kitchen", I said, dragging my words slightly and making a slow turn for the door.

She went on regardless. "Oh… well, tell them I called, and that I'm sorry… because I chose you"

Was this cardiac arrest? No; it was love. Surprising, and rather frightening love. I would assume that cardiac arrest is a lot worse. What was I even thinking?

I shuffled my feet, finding my balance. "…Should we tell them, then?"

"I think so", she replied, and we walked into the restaurant together, with her effortlessly dragging in her suitcase and me still trying not to feel so weightless


	2. Chapter 2

**Other possibly somewhat necessary explanations: This story most likely disregards **_**Tomb It May Concern **_**and the fact that Hottie becomes irrelevant during this. **

**In short, Ho and Hottie are now together and such.**

**POV is same as last chapter.**

**Yay! Enjoy.**

-x-

That was when the disheartening realisation came over me. Ho was happy with his new girlfriend, but what about Linguini? Although, then again, did he really love Kua just as much as I did? I shouldn't be doubting him like this.

Kua embraced the atmosphere of the wide, open dining hall, lifting her arms up and twirling a couple of times, still energetic and playful. "Ah, yes, I remember this," she reminisced, "those dishes of yours - you know, they're still the best I've ever tasted".

I couldn't help but giggle at the compliment. _She does deserve the best_, I thought to myself.

We advanced over to the door of the kitchen and I opened it - gingerly - to see what was happening. Ho was being a pyromaniac - as per usual - and Linguini was baking. Strange. Even though he does specialise in pastas and pastries, I've never actually seen Linguini bake before. Unless it's for a particular task that involves it, like baking Pucca's birthday cakes, or baking Doga's welcome-to-the-neighbourhood cake.

I finally gave in and just opened the door the whole way. Upon seeing Kua, Ho backed off slightly awkwardly, towards the spice rack, and then preceded to pretend to add spices to… something. Linguini turned and was overcome with wonder. His eyes lit up.

I've got the feeling this might lead into some sibling rivalry.

"Kua?", the two said, in entranced unison.

"Thank you, Kua", Ho said, immediately afterwards, walking to her before continuing, in his gracious manner, "for helping us in our self-discovery".

"…You're welcome?", Kua replied, looking around and seeming slightly uncomfortable. Evidently, she wasn't that informed on our self-discovery. "Look, about that date I was invited on and all… you see, I'm not with Master Soo anymore".

"You're not?", they both queried, unified once again by their past experiences.

Kua continued as if they had never interrupted; "…and- you know I don't like telling you this, but- I chose to be with Uncle Dumpling". She hastily added, "Though, you both _are _also very nice".

"You need not worry, Kua", Ho had stated, once again in a tone which was grandiose without being pretentious - "I had fallen in love again while you were away".

"Really?". She was curious. Curious to see what kind of traits Hottie had which were so interesting to him.

I still remember the day when Hottie inexplicably arrived in the kitchen. I had absolutely no idea what had happened until Ho told me afterwards. I reprimanded him for choosing her romantic interests over Pucca's health and wellbeing. Then again, like I was thinking before, we all make mistakes. He is still pure of heart. He told me that meeting her was like amnesia to him anyway.

I turned to face Linguini. His smile fell, so I placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry", I mumbled. There wasn't really much else to say, anyway.

"No, it's okay", he chimed. "I gotta keep time with my own spirit. Not someone else's"

I laughed at his cheekiness, turned to Kua and asked, tentatively, "May I?", before putting an arm around her. Yes; now there is surely much more to be experienced in life than what can be gained from my passion for cooking. My brothers and I were just so absorbed in that love for cuisine that we never noticed, until Kua found us, the love for… well, love.

Then the kitchen door opened and a young girl entered. It was my niece, Pucca, returning home from her visit with Garu. I just remembered: Pucca was the one who had set us up on this date in the first place. I have so much to be thankful of her for.

Pucca raced in and hugged me tightly. Then she ran across and hugged Linguini and Ho with the same force. I always admired her presence, the way she was always so assertive, even in her actions, if not her words.

"Jajangmyeon?", I asked her, simply.

She gave me an enthusiastic nod. I thought - perhaps - we could set up a late lunch. That way I would be able to tell her about Kua in a relatively relaxed setting.

After this, Pucca had only just noticed that Kua was standing right near her. She staggered backwards, lost her balance for a moment, swiftly regained it and examined Kua as if she were one of Garu's lost ancestors.

Pucca gasped. It seemed, for her, that everything was falling into place now. At lightning speed, she ran to the benchtop on the other side of the kitchen and returned, holding what was now a memoir: the invite she had premeditatedly handmade for Kua, regarding the date which was made up impulsively


	3. Chapter 3

**Pucca's POV this time. :)**

**Yay! Enjoy.**

-x-

I remember it well now. My memories might be stranger than theirs, but I probably remember it just as well as they do.

She still had that positive aura; that glow resonating from her wherever she went; the spirit of adventure. From what I'd heard, she had let them down in the end. She wasn't a maiden anymore, so, judging from that, she had made her own decision to change - most likely for the better - so I was welcoming to her. I mean, it's hard not to be.

My jajangmyeon was ready. My Uncle Dumpling handed it to me. He was always a cheerful person, but today his happiness seemed… surreal.

As I sat down and ate, Kua and the three others sat down at the table with me. I had just realised - they had bowls of jajangmyeon and were eating as well. I didn't expect this, but okay - maybe they're just having a talk over how things have changed since she left.

There was about half a minute of silence - comfortable silence - before anyone spoke. It was Uncle Dumpling that started.

"Pucca?". He looked at me from the far side of the table. "Kua came here half an hour ago…"

Kua seemed to finish his sentence for him. "Yes, I was letting your Uncle Dumpling know that I didn't want to live with Master Soo anymore…" - she trailed off but then quickly picked herself up again - "…and that I want to be with him instead."

I couldn't believe it. This had all started from a sudden impulse of mine? How did I ever-

"Looking back on taking Soo", Kua acknowledged, "I was being a bit shallow, actually". She laughed, breaking some tension. "I'm so glad to see you all here. How have you all been while I wasn't around? Who's this new… partner of yours, Ho?"

"Oh, right, that". Ho took out a small wallet from under the table, sorted through its contents, and pulled out a tiny portrait photograph. "Her name is Hottie", he told her, "and she, well, lives in the Fire Swamps of Sooga. She needs to harbour the power of the fire within that swamp, because, well, there's no-one else there. And when I got there, to find something for Pucca, she wasn't condemning. She truly appreciated me as a person".

Kua stared into the picture at Hottie, who seemed to hold the passion in her eyes which levelled out Kua's angelic visage. I wondered if she was thinking about why Ho chose Hottie over her after she'd left. She needn't have thought about it if she was - she now has a partner who can fulfil her wishes.

"I see", Kua noted, "she is a beautiful woman".

"I always tell her that", Ho confessed, with a crooked smile.

Everything I was told that night, when I came back from seeing Garu, I had remembered now. Initially, I knew just as little as my other uncles did about Hottie until Ho told me about how he met her. I still feel bad at the very back of my mind that Ho would completely forget about me while I accidentally got myself in comatose. But I forgive him for it, and love him unconditionally. I understand that even the best of people can make bad decisions - they just need their friends at these times to steer them in the right direction.

Kua stayed a while, and then I realised - it was almost dinner. People were going to be coming in soon, and my uncles would have to return to their work. I stepped outside and embraced the fresh, twilight air.

Today, Garu seemed like a usual thing. This was a happiness I'd never experienced


	4. Chapter 4

**Same POV as last.**

**This is quite fun.**

**Yay! Enjoy.**

-x-

I couldn't believe it. What if they got married? And then Hottie and Ho got married? I'm thinking way too far ahead here. But even still. That would be just awesome. I would have two new aunts, and wonderful weddings to go to. I was getting lost in my own imagination here.

I knew I just had to tell Ching about this. I'd told her about Kua sometime before (best friends tell eachother everything, right?) so I knew she would be thrilled to hear about her choice to return to the land life of Sooga - and to be the partner of one of my uncles.

By now, Ching probably would have gone back to the training hall, so I went there. The stars in the dusky sky glowed bright white, watching over me as I walked.

Standing under the porch lights, I knocked on the door and waited patiently, my hands held behind my back. The door swung open with a familiar creak, and framed by the doorway was Ching's eccentric father: Chang. He was usually nice and enthusiastic about everything, but he'd had his dealings with unfortunate things. Thankfully he had shut down his wine business and instead decided to further develop his career in teaching martial arts.

Chang knew exactly what I wanted. He kicked in the hospitality right away. "Oh - hello, Pucca! So good to see you again! Ching is in her room, but if there's anything I can do for you, you're more than welcome to ask me".

I didn't ask anything of Chang. I just advanced down to Ching's bedroom. I'd been here so many times before that I knew this place almost as well as the restaurant. Trust me - there are many secrets to the restaurant. Just ask Garu and Abyo about that time they started that underground martial arts club. Both metaphorically _and _literally.

I knocked on Ching's bedroom door as well, to be polite. She opened the door just a little, her inquisitive eyes peering through to see who was there. That was when the swung the door open completely, exclaiming my name in surprise, and hugged me.

"What brings you here?", she chirped, sitting down on her bed, whilst Won flapped impatiently on her head.

We were both sat there for quite a while as I told her of the news. I mean, that part didn't take long. The rest of it was just us going on about it. She was really happy for me, as I was for Uncle Dumpling.

"Let's just hope nobody bounces down a mountain this time…", she laughed. "I'm just glad she loves him for who he is. I don't think Abyo sees me in that kind of way…"

Well, what a coincidence. Just then, Abyo's face could be seen, peering through Ching's bedroom window. She was momentarily frightened and drew her sword, but upon realising that it was nothing threatening, she put it away.

"Abyo, how inconsiderate of you! Why can't you just walk in through the door the way Pucca does?"

"Scaring you is more fun"

"Then why don't you scare any of the other _girls _you hang out with?"

"I do. They just don't have issues about it"

Ching growled, closed the window and shut the blind. "You know - sometimes I wish Abyo knew how to make me feel special. Right now, he's just… shallow, and pretentious"

From past experience, I know that no matter how hard you try to change the way Abyo thinks, there's just no use. Right now, though - just right now - I think there might be a second chance. We need Ching to alter the way Abyo perceives her, and I may be able to find out just what she can do.

Where did that Kua lady go off to...


	5. Chapter 5

**More POV from Pucca.**

**Stuff is gonna change course though, let me tell you…**

-x-

I was now in the Goh-Rong kitchen, feeling a little unsure of myself, but Uncle Dumpling was the one who swung me into reassurance. Well, what do you know. "Pucca, if it's okay with you, of course… Kua has asked if she can stay with us for a while".

She's taking a bit of shelter in the restaurant now? Well, that gives me a _lot _more time than what I at first thought was the rest of the night to examine her.

So I let Uncle Dumpling know that I would enjoy having Kua's company (I mean, of course I would), and then I headed off outside. Trying as much as possible to be inconspicuous, I trudged behind the restaurant, looking in through the back window from behind a tree.

It looked like Kua had been invited to watch them cooking. That's nice, I thought – also kinda makes up for all the injuries she'd indirectly inflicted on those chefs.

I could hear them from outside, but only just, so I tried to steady myself in order to quiet my surroundings. It wasn't eavesdropping, was it? I managed to convince myself it wasn't bad, and I really hope I was right. It _was _to help a friend in need, I suppose.

Cooking was now the chefs' second nature, it seemed, as I saw they happened to manage the dishes and listen to whatever it was Kua had to say at the same time.

"You know, Master Soo really didn't like the idea of any of his _maidens _rebelling", she recalled. There was a tone of wistfulness in her voice, but she placed a certain kind of almost vicious edge on that word, _maidens_, as if it were derogatory. "He said it was too much of a disgrace for even a curse to repair. It wasn't a disgrace to me, though. It's only gotten rid of what he superficially wants. I don't think there's any shame in standing up for yourself".

I pulled out the little notepad I used to take orders at the Goh-Rong once, and began to write up some indefinite notes.

"Honestly, I don't mind. Eventually I just became fed up with his egotism, and that was when I'd realised that I could run away and do all of this for you because you'd been through so much for me".

Sacrifice? Rebelliousness? Compromise? This wasn't exactly a list of qualities that would have it too easy.

How could Ching ever make a sacrifice? Perhaps giving Abyo her favourite sword or something. No - too unreliable, knowing him. Ching _has _had her fair share of rebelliousness, considering she stood up to those modelling agents when they tried to make Abyo one of their mindless drones, and that she has had to be rather blunt with Tobe on a few occasions for Garu's sake.

In order for compromise to sort of happen, Ching would have to be inconsiderate to Abyo since he's being inconsiderate to her. So it wouldn't quite work that way. And even then, Abyo wouldn't even notice, or care. It had already happened that time when she got possessed by that loose sock.

"Ah... Pucca... back again so soon?"

Chang looked a little confused but he was still acting quite friendly as he let me inside.

Walking slowly down the dim hallway, I stopped a couple of steps in front of her door. It wasn't my imagination. I could hear sniffling behind the door. Could it be? Was she crying? _I do feel bad for her_, I thought, edging closer to her bedroom door, _since she's actually been friends with Abyo for quite a while now and yet still he never got to truly appreciate her._

I decided to open the door, quietly, but without knocking first this time. I thought she would understand.

She was kneeling in her bed, which had been illuminated in the dark room from the window's moonlight. She had her eyes covered by her hands, and Won was almost imitating her, her head buried beneath her wings.

Only then did Ching uncover her eyes and notice me standing there. "Pucca, I'll admit it - someone as determined as you would have no idea how it feels like: giving up something that means so much to you".

She continued, "I'm not just talking about a potential boyfriend, though. It's like he doesn't even wanna be friends these days"

That was when I showed her my notes. However much I could have written that I hadn't, she wiped back her tears and smiled. "Maybe his friends can lead him back into the right direction after all".


End file.
